Shoe-polishing machine



May 6 1 924.

M. RINGSTQROM ET 'AL SHOE POLISHING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 29. 1925 NHA D al'fomwg 5 May 6 1924. 1,493,162

M. RINGSTROM ET AL SHOE POLI SHING MACHINE 9 2 h C r a M d e: l 1 F gnuenfo'o el/ 1) p .May ,6, 1924.

7 1,493,162 M. RINGSTROMET AL.

SHOE POLISHING momma 'Filed March 29-. 1920 5 ShetsSheet 5 May 6, 1924; 1,493,162

M. RINGSTROM ET AL SHOE POLISHING MACHINE Filed March 29, 1920- 5 Sheets-Sheet Q) Q) It! :51 3, 55 w! I54 1 /Z rm 2 I /54' May 6 1924. 1,493,162

M. RINGSTROM ET AL SHOE POLISHING MACHINE Filed March 29. 1920 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented May 6, 1924.

' UNITED STATES T oer-Ice.

MAeNUs uNGsTnoM ANn CLIFFORD A. nAnmsor BRYAN, TEXAS, As'sreNon's, sir

mEsNE ASSIGNMENTS, o THE AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC SHOE To ISHIN 'MA mNE COMPANY, 015 BRYAN, TEXAS, A CORPORATION OF TEXAS. I

SHOE-POLISHING MACHINE.

Applicationfiled March 29, 1920. Serial 1T0, 369,660.

T0 all whom it inlay concern:

, Be it known that we, MAGNUSnRINGsTROM and Ourronn A. HARRIS, citizens of the United States, residing at Bryan, in the county of Brazos and State of Texas, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Shoe-Polishing Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being'had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to apparatus for cleaning and polishing shoes, and the object a is the provision of simple and efficient mechanism adapted to be operated under the control of a coin and constructed in such manner that a thorough shine may be had very quickly. More specifically our invention is concerned with mechanism having brushes adapted to be rotated and reciprocated over the surface of shoes worn by a customer seated at the machine, and of means for automatically applying paste or polish.

Among the features of our invention, We provide a controlling mechanism whereby rotating brushes are caused to bodily reciprocate over the shoes to clean them and re move dust before paste is applied, and thereafter to polish and shine them efiiciently.

The mechanism for automatically feeding the polish from its receptacle to the brush is an additional feature. Still another feature is the provision of adjustable guards to protect the clothing against soiling or con: tact with the brushes.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention the power mechanism comprises an electric motor, the circuit of which isclosed by the insertion of a coin of proper value, causing the operation of the brushes and polish feeding mechanism under the control of stop mechanism designed to break the circuit and stop the operation after a predetermined time. I

A preferred embodiment of our invention is illustratedin the drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a'vertical section through the machine showing the mechanism in side elevation; Fig. 2 is a plan ofthe lower portion of the apparatus showing the brush operating and polish feeding mechanisms; Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on the line 3- 3'of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a horizontal'section on the line 4.-i of Fig. 1;, Fig. 5 is a front'elevation of the machine Fig. 6 is a vertical secrear elevation; 'Fig. 7 is an enlarged horizontal section through the polish feeding.

u tion showing the polish feeding means .in'

ing means foractuating the polish feed; 7

screws; and Figs. 9 and 10 are horizontal sections through the controllingstop mechanism'takeuin different positions substan 5 tially on the line 9-9 of Fig. 1." 5

We have shown the apparatus constitut ing our invention housed in a suitable casmg 10 provided at its forward end with a wardly extending brackets 11.'--The" rear end of the housing includes an elevated porstool 12 on which the persondesiring a" tion 15 adapted tohouse'the operatingand controlling mechanisms, there being a depending front wall 14: and a rear wall17fl having ahinged latched door 16. .Near the base of the machine 20 we mount on suitable bracket supports18,the rails 19 extending longitudinally alongthe sides 21 of the casing and constituting a trackway 'over' whichacarriage 22 may travel, being supported thereon as byithefianged wheels 23 f and 24:. We have shown wheels'23 at each of the fourcorners of the carriage 22 adapted to travel above the rails 19, and intermediate wheels 24: below the rails. A

On the carriage '22 wemount'a driving motor, and aplurality of cleaning and pol-- ishing brushes, and paste or polish recep- 'tacles and applying mechanisms. The motor is shown at 25 preferably located at one of the rear corners of the carriage 22' and the forward portion of the carriage, we

may be of any desired size and type suitable to drive the mechanism disclosed. Across mount a flanged 'supporting'web or bracket w 28 having forwardly projecting arms 29 provided with bearing sleeves 3O adapted to support the vertical shafts 32 of three cylindrical brushes 33, a'rranged side by'side.

Projecting upwardly and rearwardly from 'the web 28 we provide arms- 36 terminating in bearings 37 in whichis supported a,horizontal shaft 38 carrying t'woPcylindrical brushes 39. e

The brushes 33 are so arranged that their peripheries substantially Contact directly at the rear of the shoe rests 13 so that when the carriage 22is moved forwardly the middle brush will pass between the shoes to en- -with the carriage 22, the spaces 26 being occupied by strips 31, which are connected as desired to the carriage 22, and braced and supported in any-suitable manner to-permit their sliding back and forth flush with the floor portions 27, thus providing a smooth continuous floor surface when the carriage is in its rearward position.

Across the rear of the carriage 22 we provide a row of paste or polish containers 70 on a shelf supported above the base of the carriage 22 by braces 77. Projecting forwardly from the bottom portion of each container 70 there is a tube 75 having preferably Et-IIELIIOW vertically elongated opening 76 adapted to contact with the lower portion of the periphery of the brushes 33. Within each tube '75 there is mounted a screw or helical member 78 which extends through the lower portion of the corresponding container 7 O with the shaft thereon projecting rearwardly and carrying means hereinafter described whereby it may be rotated.

The brushes and paste containers and actuating mechanism therefor on the carriage 22 are preferably housed withm a sheet metal casing 72 extending around the sides and over the top ofthe carriage mechanism and across the front of the brushes 33, openings 73 being provided opposite the foot supports 13 to permit forward movement of the carriage.

In front of the web 28 we support a horizontal lay shaft 410 in brackets 41. Gearing,

preferably bevel pinions 4:3 and 4%, is arranged on the shaft 40and the vertical brush shafts 32 whereby the latter may bedriv'en from the former, the center brush prefer-v ably rotating in the opposite direction from the other two, so that there is no tendency of one brush to remove polish from its neighbor. suitable pulley or sprocket wheel 45 is secured at one end of thelay shaft 40. and connected by an endless belt or chain 46 with a similar member 47 on the armature shaft of the motor. Another endless chain or belt 51 connects the shafts 38 and 4:0 by passing over wheels 52 and 53 respectively on these shafts. I

We provide mechanism for shifting the carriage back and. forth on the track rails 19,

preferably driving this mechanism through the lay shaft 40. Intermediate of the ends The I 66 near the rear of thecasing. In view of the constant connection between the worm and worm wheel, rotation of these parts will cause the arm 61 to rotate about the axis of the worm wheel While the pivot 63 oscillates laterally with the link 64. As the carriage 22, carrying the worm wheel is guided by the rails l9 to move in a forward and rearward direction only, it follows that the carriage is so reciprocated, thus causing the brushes 33 and, 39 to travel back and forth around and over the surface of the shoes on the supports 13.

The controlling means for the apparatus as shown comprises a ratchet wheel 88 supported on an inner wall of the casing 15 as on a screw 89 engaging a stud 90. Pivoted on the screw 89 is a lever 91 carrying at one end a spring-pressed pawl 92 adapted to engage the ratchet wheel 88. The other end of the lever is-spring-pressed as at 93 to grade movement. The ratchet wheel 88 carries means for actuating the .paste applying mechanism after the carriage 22 has made a desired number of reciprocations, and has additional means for causing the machine to stop after the polishing operation has been completed. a v

The meansshown for actuating the paste feed screws 78 comprises a extending transversely of the casing in the rear of the polish receptacles 70 and supported on toothed segments 101 loosely mounted on the rearwardly extending ends 102 of the screw shafts 78. The shaft ends rack bar 100 102 are supported each in a bracket 103 secured to the shelf 71 carrying the containers 70. Rigidly secured to each shaft 102 is a' ratchet Wheel 105 engaged by a pawl 106 carried by the segment 101. The end of the rack bar 100 is adapted to be engaged and moved against the influence of a return spring 107, by a wedge cam 108 pivoted as at 109. in a stud 110 in the side of the casing. The'cam 108 is provided'with an car 111 whereby it may be connected through the link113 to a rock the casing at 114, the lever 112 being adapted to be engaged during the course of the lever "112 pivoted to actuation of the ratchet wheel 88, in a manner hereinafter described.

It is desired to operate the machine under the control of a coin. Accordingly, we have shown a coin chute having an opening adapted to receive coins of the proper denomination and leading to a suitable circuit make-and-break device. A suitable coin detector may be provided if desired, to prevent the useof spurious coins, but such has not been illustrated as it constitutes no part of' our invention. The coin chute 80 extends through the wall of the casing and terminates above a pair of insulated contact members 82 and 8 3, which form terminals of the controlling circuit not shown for the motor. The member 82 is fixed in a bracket 84 and the member 83 is axially slidable toward and away from the member 82 in a bracket'85.

The contact member 83 is shown insulated from and secured as at to a plunger 116 slidable within a bracket 117 and urged toward the position shown in Fig. 1 by a spring 118, thus bringing the contacts 82 and 83 into a position preventing the passage of a coin between them. A. rock lever 120 pivoted at 121 to the side of the casing has one end pivoted at 122 to the plunger 116 with the other end extending adjacent to'the ratchet wheel 88 and provided with a cam 125, adapted to be engaged by means on the ratchet wheel to release the coin C when the polishing operation is completed. A suitable receptacle 135 may be supported beneath the contact members 82 and 83 to receive the coin.

The means shown on the ratchet 88 for engaging the rock levers 112 and 120 to control the polish feeding and the stopping of" the machine, respectively, comprise the pins 130 and 132. The lever 112 preferably projects inwardly toward the center of the ratchet wheel 88 farther than does the lever 120. The pin 130 is positioned closer to the center of the ratchet wheel than the pin 132 and is made longer than the pin 132 whereby it may engage the bent end 134 of the lever 112 while the shorter pin 132 clears such bent end. The pin 132 however, is adapted to engage the cam on the end of the lever 120 which member is not engaged by the pin on account of its location.

To protect the clothing of the customer we support shields depending from the casing adjacent to the shoe plates 13. The shields 140 comprise curved members secured to slide bars 142 as at 143 and may be adjusted vertically for different heights of .shoes,'within brackets 145 secured at 146 to i the wall of the casing; The brackets 145 are slotted as at 148 through which a pin or rive-t 143 a'nd a' guiding pin 149 may extend. The slide bars 142 are provided at their upper ends with knobs 151 and may have a row of notches 153 along one side adapted to be engaged by a spring-pressed ball 154 to hold the slide bars at desired adjusted position. A hand rail may be mounted above the top of the casing 15 on supports 161.

The use and operation of the machine may be briefly described as follows: v

A customer seats himself, with his shoes resting on the supports 13, adjusts the protecting shields 140, and inserts a coin C of the proper denomination in the coin chute 80. This coin bridges the gap between the contacts 82 and 83 thereby closing the circuit of the motor 25 which, through the medium of the flexible members 46 and 51, drives the shafts 38 and 40 rotating the brushes thereon, and through the worm 55, worm wheel 56, arm 61 and link 64 causes the carriage 22 to reciprocate on the rails 19 thereby moving the brushes 38 and 33 back and forth over and around the shoes wardly, as shown in Figs. 2 and 6, which moves the rack bar 100 and rotates the paste feed screws 7 8, througha partial revolution by engagement-ofthe Pawls 106 011 the ratchets 105, thereby causing'the appli- 5 cation of paste to the brushes 33 through the nozzles 76. As the reciprocation of the carrier continues the pin 130, passes out of engagement with. the lever 112.

The pin 130 advances with the ratchet wheel past the cam 125 which it does not engage by reason of its radial position. The pin 132, which is short enough to pass freely across the bent end 1340f the lever 112, finally reaches the cam 125 and actuates the same to move the plunger 116 to the right as shown in Fig. 2 to release the coin G' into the receptacle 135, thereby breaking thecircuit and stopping the operation of the machine. The spring 118 retracts the plunger and contact 83 into position to arrest the coin for the succeeding operation.

We claim: 1. In a shoe polishin bination with an upright casing having an aperture therein, of a platform in front of the casing, exposed shoerests on top of the, platform and in front of the upright casing,

a reciprocating carriage normally positioned within the casing, brushes rotatably 0 machine, the commounted on the carriage, and means for j,

moving the carriagethrough said aperture and past. said rests.

2. In a shoe polishing machine, the com bination with an upright casing having an opening in the front ,wall thereof, a plat form in front of the casing and below said opening, a carriage within the casing, brushes mounted on the upright ends of vertical shafts which are mounted on the carriage and means for rotating the brushes and simultaneously reciprocating the carriage, open ended slots in the platform in registration with the brush shafts and shoe rests on the platform between said slot-s, said brushes extending above the plane of the rests so that when the carriage is reciprocated, the brushes pass through said opening and past said rests.

3. In a shoe polishing machine, a shoe support, a reciprocating carriage, a brush and paste feeding mechanism, and an index wheel controlled by the reciprocation of. the carriage for effecting the operation of the paste feeding mechanism, said wheel being also employed for stopping the operation of the machine.

4:. In a shoe polishing machine, a shoe support, a reciprocating carriage, a brush and paste feeding mechanism on the carriage, and means controlled by the recipro cation of the carriage for effecting the opbrushes eration of the paste feeding mechanism, said means being also employed for subsequently stopping the movement of the carriage' 5. A shoe polishing machine having in combination a reciprocating carriage, a standard carried thereby, said standard hav-- ing laterally extending arms and upwardly extending arms, a substantially vertical shaft in each of the lateral arms, and a substantially horizontal shaft supported in the upwardly extending arms, brushes on each of the shafts, a lay shaft rotatably connected t the other shafts, and means for rotating the lay shaft.

6. A shoe polishing machine having in combination, a reciprocating carriage, means for reciprocating the carriage, brushes mounted on the carriage, a lay shaft rotatably connected with each brush, a vertical shaft extending through the carriage, a worm wheel connection between said shafts, and means associated with the worm wheel connection for reciprocating the carriage.

7. A shoe polishing machine, having in combination a reciprocating carriage, rotat able brushes mounted thereon, a shaft extending vertically through the carriage, an arm beneath the carriage and rigid with said shaft, and means associated with the shaft for transforming rotary motion of the arm into reciprocating motion of the carriage.

8. A shoe polishing machine having in combination a reciprocating carriage, carried thereby, paste-applying means mounted on the carriage adjacent the brushes, a single index wheel arranged to be advanced step by steplby reciprocating movement of the carriage, pins projecting laterally from one face of the wheel, one of said pins being arranged to actuate the paste-feeding mechanism and the othero said pins to stop the carriage. v

9. A shoe polishing machine comprising rotating brushes, a reciprocating brush carriage, a motor mounted on the carriage for rotating said brushes, a crank member extending through the carriage and rotatably connected with the motor, and an oscillating link having the free end thereof connected with said crank member, whereby the carriage is caused to be reciprocated whenever said member is rotated.

lO. A shoe polishing machine comprising in combination, a frame, a reciprocatin carriage mounted thereon, brushes carrie by the carriage, a member extending through the carriage and rotatably connected with said brushes, an arm beneath the carriage and rigid with said member, an

oscillating link having the free end thereof pivotally connected to said arm whereby rotation of said member causes reciprocation of the carriage.

11. In a shoe polishing machine, a brush 1 operating mechanism, a paste feeding mechanism, and a single index wheel for startin and stopping the operation of both mechanisms at different times,

12. In a shoe polishing machine, a rotating and reciprocating brush mechanism, a paste feeding mechanism actuated after the brush operating mechanism has been in operation a predetermined period, a master index wheel and means operated by said wheel for stopping the operation ofboth mechanisms at different subsequent periods.

18. In a shoe polishing machine, a casing,

a pair of shoe supports thereon, a longitudinal trackway extending beneath and parallel to the shoe supports, a carriage reciprocable over the trackway, a plurality of brushes on the carriage, a driven shaft connected with the brushes for rotating the same, an arm rotatably connected to the shaft and having a bearing inthe carriage, an oscillating link havingiits free end pivoted to the arm, whereby the carriage is caused to reciprocate over the trackway, when the shaft is rotated.

14. In a shoe polishing machine, a longitudinal trackway, a carriage reciprocable over the trackway, a motor and a plurality of brushes on said carriage, a shaft driven by the motor and connected with the brushes for rotating the same, and means including an arm rotatably connected to the shaft and to an oscillating link, whereby the carriage is caused to reciprocate over the trackway.

15. In a shoe polishing machine, a reciprocating carriage, a plurality of aligned vertical hearings on said carriage, a shaft in each bearing, and a brush on each shaft, a horizontal shaft parallel to and behind said row of vertical shafts, a lay shaft rotatably connected with the other shafts, and means for rotating the lay shaft.

16. In a shoe polishing machine, a standard, a plurality of brushes arranged in a transverse row on said standard, a horizontal shaft having a plurality of brushes spaced thereon in staggered relation with the first named brushes, a horizontal lay shaft connected to said brushes, and means for rotating the lay shaft.

17. In a shoe polishing machine, a trackway, a carriage, a supporting web thereon, a plurality of brushes supported therefrom on vertical shafts, a plurality of brushes supported therefrom on a horizontal shaft, a lay shaft, means connecting the same with said brush shafts, a worm forming a part of said shaft, a worm wheel engaging said worm, an arm secured at one end to said worm wheel, a link mounted at one end on a fixed pivot and its opposite end pivoted to the free end of the arm, and means for rotating said lay shaft.

18. In a shoe polishing machine, a carriage, paste-feeding mechanism thereon, means for actuating the carriage, a ratchet wheel operated step by step by the reciprocation of said carriage, a pin on said wheel for actuating the paste-feeding mechanism, and a second pin carried by said wheel for stopping the carriage.

19. In a shoe polishing machine, a carriage, paste-feeding mechanism thereon, means for actuating the carriage, a ratchet wheel operated step by step by the reciprocation of said carriage, two rock levers, a relatively long pin arranged on a relatively short radius on said wheel and adapted to engage one of said levers, after a predetermined movement of the ratchet wheel, for

operating the paste-feeding mechanism and a relatively short pin arranged on a relatively long radius n the ratchet wheel, and adapted to engage the other of said levers, for stopping the carriage actuating means. 20. In a shoe polishing machine, a casing having a platform, a plurality of shoe supports above the platform, a plurality of rotatable brushes normally held Within the casing but movable outside thereof and along said supports, and shields carried out side the casing and adjacent the supports.

21. In a shoe polishing machine, a trackway, a carriage, a supporting web thereon,

a plurality of vertical bearings arranged in a row and extending from said web, a shaft having a brush carried in each bearing, a. plurality of aligned longitudinal bearings extending from said web, a shaft carrying a plurality of brushes mounted therein, a lay-shaft, means for rotating said brush shafts from said lay-shaft, and means for rotating said lay-shaft.

22. In an automatic shoe polishing machine, in combination, a reciprocatin carriage, a motor thereon, a shaft on sai carriage rotated by said motor, a worm on said shaft, a worm wheel engaged therewith, a crank rotated by said worm wheel,an immovable bearing for said crank, a link connecting said crank with its bearing,substantially as and for the purposes described.

23. In an automatic shoe polishing machine, in combination, a fixed guiding frame, a reciprocating bridge thereon, a prime motor on said bridge, shoe polishing brushes on said bridge, a crank on said bridge rotated by said motor, a bearing on said frame, and a link anchoring said crank to said bearing.

In testimony whereof, we hereunto aflix our signatures.

MAGNUS RINGSTROM. CLIFFORD A. HARRIS. 

